How else can you explain Texas A&M, without a marquee victory in its first year in the SEC—and with two ugly losses to elite teams Florida and LSU—rolling into Tuscaloosa, Ala. and doing the unimaginable? The 29-24 victory blew open a national championship race that had become boringly predictable with Alabama on top.

In 60 minutes, the Aggies took it all away behind the play of Manziel. The player listed at 6-feet, 200 pounds; the player who can’t be more than 5-11, 190 soaking wet (if that); played bigger than any of those NFL draft picks on the other side of the ball.

Who can change the course of a season? Johnny Wonderful can:

— College football now has three unbeaten teams (Kansas State, Notre Dame, Oregon) for two spots in the BCS National Championship Game. The key hurdles for each: Oregon vs. Stanford next week, Notre Dame at USC Nov.27, Kansas State vs. Texas Dec. 1.

— The SEC now must comprehend this reality: For the first time since 2005, there may not be an SEC team in the national championship game. The league has won the last six championships, but will need two of the three unbeatens to lose over the final three weeks of the season to get in the championship game.

— Heisman Trophy voters now must take a serious look at a freshman for the game’s top individual award. Manziel struggled in two previous games against elite defenses (Florida, LSU), but had 345 total yards and two touchdowns against the No. 1 total defense and scoring defense in the nation.

— Alabama must now beat Auburn in two weeks to win the West Division and get to the SEC Championship game. Two of Saban’s three national championship teams had one loss (LSU 2003, Alabama 2011) and maybe this team can be as fortunate. But, it’s a lot of big wishing right now.

All of this because of an undersized ball of anything goes, who grew up dreaming of playing for Texas and eventually settled on Texas A&M. Of all the angst over the last three years in Austin; of all the losses and the slippage and the downright ugly play; letting Johnny Dynamic get away may be the worst of all.

In 10 games, Manziel has lifted a team that finished seventh in the Big 12 last season to the elite of the biggest, baddest conference of them all. The redshirt freshman who couldn’t win the starting job in spring ball, and had to fight to beat out Jameill Showers in fall camp, is now the talk of college football.

A freshman has never won the Heisman Trophy, but a sophomore had never won the award until Tim Tebow did it in 2007 at Florida. Why not Johnny Highlight, why not now?

He’s on pace to account for nearly 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns, and no one has a bigger game—a bigger moment—on their resume. Alabama hadn’t lost at home since 2010, when another dual-threat quarterback did in the Tide.

Cam Newton led Auburn over Alabama that day, a game that likely won him the Heisman. What Manziel accomplished this time around—with less talent around him and the Aggies playing in their first SEC season—was bigger and better.

“Their quarterback is a great player,” said Alabama coach Nick Saban.

In the history of the Heisman Trophy award, only three freshmen have ever been invited to the ceremony as a finalist: Herschel Walker, Michael Vick and Adrian Peterson.